By Femi Solaja
The Chairman of Kano State Rugby Association, Martins Crawford, has urged Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, to reverse the dissolution of Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) to evade the eminent backwardness faced by the suspension of NRFF by Rugby Africa.
Crawford said the dissolution of the board of the federation by the sports minister infringed on the provisions of the constitution of the federation, prompting the African governing body to suspend Nigeria from participating in all its activities.
Crawford lamented that the suspension has already transmitted into unaccountable losses to Nigerian sports sector.
He noted that Nigeria will not compete in the Rugby World Cup slated for Burkina Faso next month.
“Rugby Africa was to be responsible for all the bills from taxi fares to air tickets, hotels bills and other logistics,” revealed the rugby buff.
He bemoaned the excruciating pains suffered by the players, explaining that preparation by the Nigerian squad for the Rugby World Cup qualifiers were already in top gear before the abrupt dissolution of the boards leading to the suspension of Nigeria by Rugby Africa.
The Kano rugby association boss further stressed that Nigerian-born rugby players plying their trades in South Africa, Italy and England had already enlisted to feature for Nigeria at their self-expense in service to their fatherland, adding that the development is detrimental to the moral of the players.
Crawford added that the suspension of Nigeria by the governing body will depreciate its global and continental rating, a feat that may not be hurriedly regained by the country, considering the time frame and huge talent and resources that will be required to launch Nigeria back to its current stats.
He appealed to Mr Dare and other critical stakeholders to reverse the decision to shelve further damage that may be caused from the hammer of the world rugby governing body in the interest of sports development.
Crawford cautioned that the world rugby governing body frowned at all forms of government interferences in the running of the game of rugby, positing that the dissolved NRRF board members were elected under the supervision of Rugby Africa with an agreement that the lapses evident in the NRFF statues will be amended.
